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Population

Kwale County has a child rich population, where 0-14 year olds constitute 48% of the total population. This is due to high fertility rates among women as shown by the highest percentage household size of 4-6 members at 37%.

Employment

Employment

The 2009 population and housing census covered in brief the labour status as tabulated below. The main variable of interest for inequality discussed in the text is work for pay by level of education. The other variables, notably family business, family agricultural holdings, intern/volunteer, retired/homemaker, fulltime student, incapacitated and no work are tabulated and presented in the annex table 19.3 up to ward level.

Table 19: Overall Employment by Education Levels in Kwale County

Education Level

Work for pay

Family Business

Family Agricultural Holding

Intern/ Volunteer

Retired/ Homemaker

Fulltime Student

Incapacitated

No work

Number of Individuals

Total

17.3

12.3

27.2

0.9

18.8

13.9

0.5

9.1

315,948

None

10.3

11.5

40.2

1.1

27.2

0.4

1.1

8.2

98,724

Primary

15.5

12.6

24.5

0.8

16.9

20.1

0.2

9.4

159,276

Secondary+

34.4

12.5

12.5

1.2

9.7

20.0

0.2

9.6

57,948

In Kwale County, 10% of the residents with no formal education, 16% of those with a primary level of education and 34% of those with secondary level of education or above are working for pay. Work for pay is highest in Nairobi at 49% and this is 15 percentage points above the level in Kwale for those with secondary level of education or above.

Gini Coefficient

In this report, the Gini index measures the extent to which the distribution of consumption expenditure among individuals or households within an economy deviates from a perfectly equal distribution. A Gini index of '0' represents perfect equality, while an index of '1' implies perfect inequality. Kwale County’s Gini index is 0.597 compared with Turkana County, which has the least inequality nationally (0.283).

Education

Only 10% of Kwale County residents have a secondary level of education or above. Msambweni constituency has the highest share of residents with a secondary level of education or above at 21%. This is almost four times Kinango and Lunga Lunga constituencies, which have the lowest share of residents with secondary or above. Msambweni constituency is 11 percentage points above the county average. Ukunda ward has the highest share of residents with secondary education or above at 31%. This is 10 times Mwereni ward, which has the lowest share of residents with a secondary level of education or above. Ukunda ward is 21 percentage points above the county average.

A total of 51% of Kwale County residents have a primary level of education only. Matuga constituency has the highest share of residents with a primary level of education only at 53%. This is 4 percentage points above Lunga Lunga constituency, which has the lowest share of residents with a primary level of education only. Matuga constituency is 2 percentage points above the county average. Kinondo ward has the highest share of residents with a primary level of education only at 57%. This is 14 percentage points above Mwereni ward, which has the lowest share of residents with a primary level of education only. Kinondo ward is 6 percentage points above the county average.

A total of 39% of Kwale County residents have no formal education. Lunga Lunga constituency has the highest share of residents with no formal education at 45%. This is 18 percentage points above Msambweni constituency, which has the lowest share of residents with no formal education. Lunga Lunga constituency is 6 percentage points above the county average. Mwereni ward has the highest percentage of residents with no formal education at 54%. This is almost three times Ukunda ward, which has the lowest percentage of residents with no formal education. Mwereni ward is 15 percentage points above the county average.

Energy » Cooking Fuel

Only 1% of residents in Kwale County use liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), and 6% use paraffin. 80% use firewood and 11% use charcoal. Firewood is the most common cooking fuel by gender with 85% of female headed households and 78% in male headed households using it.

Msambweni constituency has the highest level of use of LPG in Kwale County at 5%.This is 4 percentage points above Kinango Kinango and Lunga Lunga constituencies, which have the lowest share. Msambweni constituency is 4 percentage points above the county average. Gombato Bogwe ward has the highest level of use of LPG in Kwale County at 7%.This is 7 percentage points above Puma ward, which has no share. Gombato Bogwe ward is 6 percentage points above the county average.

Lunga Lunga constituency has the highest level of firewood use in Kwale County at 93%.This is almost twice Msambweni constituency, which has the lowest share at 53%. Lunga Lunga constituency is about 13 percentage points above the county average. Ndavaya ward has the highest level of firewood use in Kwale County at 98%.This is four times Ukunda ward, which has the lowest share at 23%. Ndavaya is 18 percentage points above the county average.

Msambweni constituency has the highest level of charcoal use in Kwale County at 23%. This is almost four times Lunga Lunga constituency, which has the lowest share at 6%. This 12 percentage points higher than the county average. Ukunda ward has the highest level of use of charcoal in Kwale count at 38%.This is 37 percentage points above Ndavaya ward, which has the lowest share. Ukunda ward is 27 percentage points above the county average.

Energy » Lighting

Only 11% of residents in Kwale County use electricity as their main source of lighting. A further 13% use lanterns, and 73% use tin lamps. 1% use fuel wood. Electricity use is slightly common in male headed households at 12% as compared with female headed households at 8%.

Msambweni constituency has the highest level of electricity use at 27%.That is nine times Kinango and Lunga Lunga constituencies, which have the lowest level of electricity use. Msambweni constituency is 16 percentage points above the county average. Ukunda ward has the highest level of electricity use at 44%.That is 44 percentage points above Dzombo ward, which has the lowest level of electricity use. Ukunda ward is 33 percentage points above the county average.

Housing » Flooring

In Kwale County, 29% of residents have homes with cement floors, while 70% have earth floors. Less than 1% has wood and 1% has tile floors. Msambweni constituency has the highest share of cement floors at 58%.That is almost five times Kinango constituency, which has the lowest share of cement floors. Msambweni constituency is twice the percentage points of the county average. Ukunda ward has the highest share of cement floors at 81%.That is almost 27 times Puma ward, which has the lowest share of cement floors. Ukunda ward is 52 percentage points above the county average.

Housing » Roofing

In Kwale County, less than 1% of residents have homes with concrete roofs, while 37% have corrugated iron sheet roofs. Grass and makuti roofs constitute 60% of homes, and mud/dung roofs are absent.

Msambweni constituency has the highest share of corrugated iron sheet roofs at 48%.That is almost twice Lunga Lunga constituency, which has the lowest share of corrugated iron sheet roofs. Msambweni constituency is 11 percentage points above the county average. Ukunda ward has the highest share of corrugated iron sheet roofs at 69%.That is almost five times Mkongani ward, which has the lowest share of corrugated iron sheet roofs. Ukunda ward is 32 percentage points above the county average.

Lunga Lunga constituency has the highest share of grass/makuti roofs at 73%.That is 26 percentage points above Msambweni constituency, which has the lowest share of grass/makuti roofs. Lunga Lunga constituency is 13 percentage points above the county average. Mkongani ward has the highest share of grass/makuti roofs at 83%. This is 58 percentage points above Ukunda ward, which has the lowest share. Mkongani ward is 23 percentage points above the county average.

Housing » Walls

In Kwale County, 30% of homes have either brick or stone walls. 67% of homes have mud/wood or mud/cement walls. Less than 1% has wood walls. Less than 1% has corrugated iron walls. 2% have grass/thatched walls. 1% has tin or other walls.

Msambweni constituency has the highest share of brick/stone walls at 61%.That is almost six times Kinango constituency, which has the lowest share of brick/stone walls. Msambweni constituency is 31 percentage points above the county average. Ukunda ward has the highest share of brick/stone walls at 83%.That is 28 times Puma ward, which has the lowest share of brick/stone walls. Ukunda ward is 53 percentage points above the county average.

Kinango constituency has the highest share of mud with wood/cement walls at 85%.That is twice Msambweni constituency, which has the lowest share of mud with wood/cement walls. Kinango constituency is 18 percentage points above the county average. Ndavaya ward has the highest share of mud with wood/cement walls at 96%.That is six times Ukunda ward, which has the lowest share of mud with wood/cement walls. Ndavaya ward is 29 percentage points above the county average.

In Kwale County, 47% of residents use improved sources of water, with the rest relying on unimproved sources. Use of improved sources is mainly common in male headed households at 49% as compared with female headed households at 44%.

Msambweni constituency has the highest share of residents using improved sources of water at 74%. That is three times Lunga Lunga constituency, which has the lowest share using improved sources of water. Msambweni constituency is 27 percentage points above the county average. Ukunda ward has the highest share of residents using improved sources of water at 88%.That is 87 percentage points above Ndavaya ward, which has the lowest share using improved sources of water. Ukunda ward is 41 percentage points above the county average.

Sanitation

A total of 30% of residents in Kwale County use improved sanitation, while the rest use unimproved sanitation. Use of improved sanitation is higher in male headed households at 31% as compared with female headed households at 27%.

Matuga constituency has the highest share of residents using improved sanitation at 47%.That is almost three times Kinango and Lunga Lunga constituencies, which have the lowest share using improved sanitation. Matuga constituency is 17 percentage points above the county average. Ukunda ward has the highest share of residents using improved sanitation at 71%.That is almost 14 times Ndavaya ward, which has the lowest share using improved sanitation. Ukunda ward is 41 percentage points above the county average.